2009-09-09 09:41:24
World Championships Opening Ceremonies are today and the race officially begins tomorrow. I will race on Friday in the Qualifications, the Team Race on Saturday (a three person race where we must weave down the course) and if all goes well on Friday, I will race in the Semi-Finals on Sunday. Posted below are three links, the first are to live results at 123result.com, the second is the World Championships event website, the third is to watch a live web broad cast of the race. Remember it is six hours later in Europe).
123result.comWorld Championships 09
Slovak Live Coverage of Worlds
Thanks for all the support. :)
2009-09-03 17:17:22
Its been a whirlwind of action since my last entry a few weeks ago. Following the Slovak Open, I had one day to pack and I flew home to the US, where I have been since then. It has been, I believe, a good respite from the strain of travel, though with my new Slovak home, traveling in Europe is infinitely easier (and much less like "traveling". But coming back to the US was beneficial. It has allowed me to get my affairs in order, regroup and get prepared for this final race of the season: World Championships.
As for the action of the past few weeks, the big news is that I am now a resident of Bethesda, MD. Shortly after returning from Europe, I packed my belongings (which my parents have been so nice as to store) into the back of my truck and drove south. I am now the happy resident of a basement apartment in Brookmont- walking distance from Feeder Canal for easy paddling access. And I am now officially a graduate student. I started this week at The George Washington University Elliot School of International Affairs.
But the big news is that I am about to fly to World's. Within the hour, I am driving to the airport and flying to Barcelona where I will hop on a bus to La Seu D' Urgell. I feel good ready. No expectations, just going to enjoy it. Until later...
2009-08-13 14:59:55
Hello to everyone. Yet another race is approaching. Results can be watched live at www.mates.sk . To watch results live, click on "Online Results." Start lists and final results will be posted under the "2009 Slovak Open" link.
Here's to going for it...
2009-08-13 14:55:24
2009-07-03 16:26:30
I have spent a good amount of time on this course, so I am excited to race. Early in the week the Danube was extremely high and we were uncertain if the race would happen. But the water dropped and the race is on.
You can watch live results by clicking here . If this link fails, go to to www.mates.sk and then click on the link just left of center for the "Canoe Slalom World Cup 2nd Race" and then click "Forward" on the page it directs you to.
Tomorrow I race at 2:48 and 4:49 for first and 2nd runs, respectively. (There is a 6 hour time difference, so subtract 6 hrs for East Coast time.) You can follow my results by clicking on the K1 Men category under the "Qualification" column.
2009-07-03 16:20:01
Well, I can't really complain. It was a solid weekend. I was 3rd in the qualifier, my first time ever in the top three at any stage in a World Cup. It was amazing how easy it felt. It always does when things are going right. I raced solidly in the semi-final, finding myself in 5th place, even with 2 touches. The final was not my best moment. I had trouble finding a rhythm, I was a little off line the entire way. It felt like a lot of work where everything every previous run felt easy.
It was a good start to the World Cup season, we'll see what happens next. Bratislava Slovakia will be World Cup#2. <
Look for video and results from Pau soon.
2009-06-26 09:28:34
The first World Cup starts tomorrow. Start times and live results can be found at:
Here we go...
2009-06-26 09:17:42
2009-06-12 13:06:51
Its been a very long time since you last heard from where, who ever "you" may be. It has been sufficiently long that I am not sure I can adequately inform everyone on the events in my life/ racing career since my last entry. For those of you who wonder what happened and why my website disappeared, I must say that it was not for a lack of good intentions on my part. Some of you may know that my website was a person project. It started as a way for me to teach myself webdesign, while also giving myself an avenue to inform people of my adventures and race results, and yes, to give myself some exposure. Unfortunately, my attempts to learn new web-coding techniques were exploited by some individual or program, and my website was hacked, not once, but twice. I pulled it down until I figured out the problem. I hope that now it has been resolved. I also hope now I can use it as I had intended. What follows is a brief recap of my life for the last several months.
Until later...
2008-07-11 12:04:27
Well, I have spent the last week in Spain. Immediately after the race in Augsburg I decided to round out my summer with one more race- the Pre-Worlds in La Seu D' Urgell, Spain. The week has been good, the weather has been nice, and I am once again ready to race. This will be the site of the World Championships next year, so if I am coming, this will be a good little warm up.
Live results will be accessible here:
123result.com
My start times in the qualifier tomorrow are 9:49 AM and 12:49 AM. (Subtract 6 hours for East Coast Time).
2008-07-11 11:49:37
An entry will follow soon, however I am not in a good place to do it right now.
2008-07-02 11:59:13
Its down to the final few days. By Saturday, the Olympic Team in Mens Kayak will be decided. I am looking forward to the race and feeling good. Two things are left to do: wait and race.
For anyone who wants to follow the results, I will race on Friday in the qualifier sometime early in the day. At top 40 result will put me in the semi-final on Saturday. A top 10 result will place me in the final, and hopefully on the Olympic Team. I am ready and excited. I have not been able to find specific links to live results like there were in Prague. However, if you click here it will take you to the website for the local club in Augsburg which runs the race. You should be able to find all necessary information there.
Thanks for your interest. I will post if I know more, and if not, I will post following the race. Until then...
2008-06-23 06:40:43
Hello all, I have posted results on the website from the race this weekend. I also have found some video from the race if you click here . They have my race run posted under the name of Peter Kauzer. They have made a mistake apparently.
As for the result, it is not quite what I wanted, but it was a good warm up, and I definitely learned a lot. I am now back in Augsburg where I will remain for the next two weeks until the World Cup. That's all the news for now.
2008-06-21 13:12:38
Well, I am into the semi-final. A solid performance got me in in 15th place, although there is plenty of room to improve. I am looking forward to the race. My semi-final run will be at 10:50 AM (subtract 6 hours for East Coast Time). Hopefully all will go well and I will get a second run.
2008-06-19 09:46:39
As promised, I have links so anyone who wants to can follow results this weekend. I believe the race will actually have a live video feed so people can actually watch the racers online. The format for the race is as follows:
- Friday Qualifier: all classes. Men's kayak race is in the afternoon. I race around at 2:03 for my first run and 3:44 for my second run (subtract 6 hours for East Coast Time).
- Placing in the top 40 will progress me to the semi-final, which for the kayaks will be on Sunday, so I will have a day off.
- Placing in the top 10 in the semi-final will put me in the final.
2008-06-17 16:58:52
I am happy to announce the arrival of my new website. Its look, I think, is a significant improvement on the previous. It is easier for me to update as well, so hopefully it will be that much easier for me to keep all interested parties informed. As always, the website is a project for me. It is an experiment and a way for me to teach myself web design and programming. This website was built mostly around PHP ( a server-side scripting language which makes the pages dynamic) as well as databases. I tossed in some CSS styling and some javascript to improve the look and functionality on the website. While most things work, the Javascript has given me some problems. Apparently Mozilla Firefox handles Javascript slightly differently than Mac's Safari or Internet Explorer. Until I figure this out, I apologize. I will, however tell you of a few work-arounds.
The problem occurs with the blog entry list you see on the left-hand column of the page. The blog entries should pop-up in a new, smaller window so that one can read the individual entries without leaving the site. This works fine in Safari. In Mozilla, the pop-up appears, but the back page changes and prints something to the effect of " Object Window " I haven't found the fix for this, but if you just hit the " Back " button, you will return to my site. As for Internet Explorer users, if the window doesn't open up, just make sure you are not blocking " Pop-up " windows. It may be assuming the link you clicked on was a Pop up, and not a page you intended to open.
I hope to resolve these things relatively soon, but for the moment they are likely to remain as is. The World Cup is fast approaching and web design can be so engrossing that it is a distraction. So I apologize for any inconvenience. Keep your eyes out, I will post a link for live results for this upcoming Prague World Cup.
2008-06-14 16:04:50
I have just arrived in Prague to train for my first World Cup in 3 years (finally!). Its a good feeling being back and preparing for a proper World Cup tour, and it definitely feels like coming "home" in some ways. I feel good in this setting, feel like there are so many options and possibilities because the level of challenge is so high. I feel like I am reaching for something, like its sitting in front of me, and its up to me to get to it no matter what. I get to race a World Cup next weekend, and I am happy and grateful.
In the meantime, my task is to learn the course as well as possible, get comfortable on the water, and prepare myself mentally for the race. It should be a busy, productive, and exciting week.
2008-06-11 16:08:28
It was a informal sort of event, although one worthwhile nonetheless. The Chinese Team, always eager to get as much video of fast international paddlers so they can analyze it and use it for their athletes, organized a small race yesterday (Tuesday the 10th). While I had not planned on racing again until World Cup in Prague, this was a prime opportunity to test myself against a few quick racers, and experience a race environment here in Augsburg.
My runs were solid, although not spectacular- which is just fine because it is not the time to be spectacular yet. My first run was ok, except I ran one gate the wrong way (it was a complete novice move, I know, but it happens). Runs 2 and 3 were solid and reasonable, with one touch on each run. The times were also reasonable, but slightly off the pace I want. Even after a day off, I was still a bit fatigued, so that was a contributing factor, and as always one can always improve technically. There is still time to find, and it is well within my ability to find it.
In other news, I have used my down time here in Europe to redesign my website. I am nearing the end of the process. My goal is to have a full content-management site which allows me to update my blog, results, and pictures remotely- that is from any computer anywhere. After hours of programming, and a few late nights (nights that really just got away from me because I became so absorbed in the task), I am almost finished and hope to have the new site up in a matter of days.
Thanks to all who are reading the blog. More news to come soon.
2008-06-08 10:30:11
I spent this past weekend in Merano, Italy for their 53rd annual race. It was successful, though not a stellar performance for me. There were in fact two races over the course of the weekend, as well as a head to head plastic boat race (which I impulsively decided to participate in).
I arrived from Augsburg on Thursday the 29th of May in time for an afternoon workout. My history with this course left me a bit dubious about the prospects for a quality race. The river is naturally fed, and being located in the Italian Alps, its level depends on the snow pack and the weather. Usually, the boulder strewn, gorged out river bed is shallow and extremely channelized- that is, the water is normally quite low. Upon arriving on Thursday, however, we found the opposite problem: the water was extremely high. It was high enough to make it difficult to set any meaningful courses on the practice gates, and sufficiently high that I found myself lost and searching for landmarks as I paddled through the myriad waves and holes. Needless to say, it was finally fun paddling in Merano.
The water remained quite high for my two training sessions on Friday. I decided on a second training session really as an excuse to paddle on the big water and to surf the gorgeous, steep wave at the bottom of the course. By the time the Saturday race rolled around, the water had dropped slightly to a more manageable level and continued to do so throughout the weekend. It dropped sufficiently each for me to notice an appreciable difference in the water level between my first and second runs. By Sunday, the river was more like a swollen and padded version of its normal rocky self.
As for my racing. I put in a solid performance everyday, and was 3rd both days. I had one touch on Saturday and repeated the performance on Sunday. Each touch knocked be back from 2nd to 3rd. My first run on Saturday made it clear that I had yet to truly adjust to the natural course. I did not set up my upstreams sufficiently well, as I anticipated some help from the eddies. The help failed to materialize, and I lost considerable time in at least three of the gates. I made the adjustment for my second run. My ups were better, and so was my time. However, I was over-anxious in the first upstream took my touch there.
Sunday was slightly better. My run time was the fastest raw time of the day. However I touched the last gate because of a flawed plan. My second run was slower. The time was lost in the 2nd and 3rd upstreams. With the water lower from the day before, and even between runs, it was difficult to predict or anticipate how the course would feel. But it was a good exercise in adaptability
All in all it was a successful weekend. It was a good refresher before the World Cups start in three weeks. It has given me a few things to work on in these final weeks until Augsburg. Until the next entry...
All Results
Sunday Results
Pictures will hopefully follow soon.
2008-05-25 07:33:41
I arrived in Europe exactly 10 days ago. I flew in a few days before the rest of the team so could properly adjust to the time change and feel good by the time the Augsburg training camp started. I arrived in Munich on the 15th of May, picked up a rental car, drove the hour to Augsburg, and after a nap - which I definitely should not have taken because it disrupts the adjustment to the time change- I paddled the traditional and obligatory jet lag session on the Eis Kanal. Generally this first session is a bit of a mess. I was pleasantly surprised to find that in spite of the sleep deprivation and the hours of sitting on a plane, my balance and timing were actually solid on the water.
So far the camp has been good. The rest of the team arrived on the 19th, and group training began on the 20th. The focus is technical, so that we all might learn the course in Augsburg as well as possible. It is for this reason I am planning on staying in Augsburg until the World Cup on the 4th, 5th, and 6th of July. Hopefully I can learn the tricks and feel comfortable here by the time the race comes. We will see. I will write with more info later.
2008-05-09 09:46:13
Just so everyone knows, the US Olympic Trials held here in Charlotte two weeks ago will be broadcast on MSNBC on Sunday May, 11 2008 between 12:00- 1:00 PM. This is an exciting event, as this broadcast kicks off the Olympic season. I hope everyone can tune in.
Click here to view the official broadcast information
Click Here to view US Olympic Trials Results.
2008-05-01 19:43:59
Its been a long road so far, with plenty of struggles. However, last weekend I saw my work and perseverance rewarded. After two years on the fringes, finishing just barely out of the top 3 at team trials, in this the Olympic year, I made it back on the US Team. It was a beautiful 3 days of intense, highly competitive racing during which not a single athlete backed down. In fact every single kayak stepped up and poured their heart and skill into the race as they strove to win. It was truly a challenge and an honor to compete at the Olympic Trials, not only because of the event itself, but because so many excellent, worthy and deserving athletes made it such a difficult and intense competition.
As for me, I had three amazing days of racing. For the first time this year, I felt exactly how I wanted to feel in the start gate. I was thrilled to be paddling and racing, and I feel like my results proved that. Over the course of 3 days (6 runs) I touched 1 gate. My times were consistent, and I was constantly in the mix for a medal. I finished in the top 3 every single day. Both as a positive and as something to improve on in the future, each day the win was within my grasp, but I lost it through little mistakes at the bottom (a touch on day 2 which lead to my finishing sprint being off line, and coming in too high to the last upstream on day 3). Every run, I found myself focused, smooth, propelling the boat over the lines I planned, and adapting as circumstances changed. I paddled near to the potential I see for myself, and this past weekend shines on my resume as a accomplishment I can be proud of, regardless of what happens the rest of the summer. This was one of the toughest team trials I have ever attended, and it was finally one which I can reflect on positively. It is only shame that only 3 people make the team, and a further shame that only 1 will go to the Olympics, because there are so many who have worked hard.
That said, it is now onto the next thing. I have progressed through the first stage of the Olympic selection process, now begins the second. I have used this past week following the race as a recovery period, and now I am planning the rest my summer. The final Olympic selection race will be the World Cup in Augsburg, Germany July 5th and 6th. My plan is to head to Europe so I can spend time on the course in Augsburg, perhaps fit in a race, and hopefully be ready to earn that Olympic spot. We will see what happens. I am excited for what comes next.
Notes on the event: US Olympic Trials were held in Charlotte, NC at the US National Whitewater Center . The event was held over 3 days, with over 135 athletes from 10 countries participating. Over the three days, the event drew nearly 20,000 spectators, a long with a great deal of media coverage.
Look for the results to be posted soon on my website. In the interim, go to the USACK website to view the official Olympic Trials results.
2008-02-24 10:53:37
It is my lot this year to race under duress- at least for the first two competitions. I knew this heading into them because I set my travel dates. This however does not make it any easier. The stress I am referring to is that of travel fatigue. I arrived 6 days prior to racing in Australia. I returned to the US a mere 3 days prior to the first domestic race of the year- the Glacier Breaker. I returned from Australia at 11:59 PM on the 19th of February. Spent most of the day on the 20th in the car and then fixing my boat. I managed to fit one workout in on the course in Charlotte on the 21st, before returning home and accidentally falling asleep for 3 hrs. Then I trained once on the 22nd and subsequently jumped in the car to drive to the race at the Nantahala, Where upon arriving, I successfully slept through the entire night for only the second time after returning home.
Physically, I was not in ideal condition. Mentally, however, I felt quite prepared. I made sure to start the process of getting ready to compete before race day. Alas, while I was ready mentally, success was not to be had on this day.
My first run started off quite well. Until gate 9, I was moving well, although I felt like the run was more effort than it should have been. The water in gate 10 caught me by surprise, and I found myself leaning on my stroke to try and make the fix. I spun the gate after a quick decision and moved towards gate 11. I took a small touch, being slightly unprepared. At this point I was slightly unhinged and my balance felt terribly off. I came through the falls to the upstream at 12 and found myself leaning on my strokes again. I was a little slow into the upstream, ran the boat around and started moving towards the upstream at gate 13. I came behind the up nice and high and was looking for a good quick exit so I could get back on track and back on balance. As I took my exit sweep, my paddle blade hit a rock under the water, twisting the paddle in my hand. With no pressure on the blade face I started to flip, but caught my balance quickly. The damage, however, had already been done. My bow had lost all of its angle, and I fought to regain it so I could successfully cross to gate 14 located in the middle of the river. I scrambled and made my turn into the gate, but I did not make it far enough. The gate passed just to the right of my head. I looped for the gate, losing at least 15 seconds in the process. I finished my run but was very tired by the end. I could feel the effort in a way I was not used to.
With only an hour of turn around time between runs, I had to quickly reset myself mentally. I was angry and disappointed after the first run, but I had to let it go. I resolved two things for the second run. The first was to find the feel I lacked in the first run. I felt like I was working too hard for my speed and the moves. I had to relax a bit and loosen up. Secondly, I wanted to just do the moves and do the well.
I achieved both aims during my second run. I was in the gates, and I was holding a good pace the whole way down. I felt light on the water, and my speed felt effortless. I was a bit cautious near my trouble spot on the first run and lost some time accordingly, but never the less I was pretty quick, and found what was missing. So it is all there, my next goal will be to pull this out on both runs- find that feel immediately. When I do, the race should go quite well.
2008-02-24 10:30:21
Under ideal conditions, one is able to get away for a winter training block in a warm location. Tradition has it, that the ideal location is Australia. The weather is warm, the course is high quality with lots of features to play with and experiment on, and large numbers of international racers generally train there during the winter months. This makes Australia the perfect location for a winter technical tune-up and a good early testing ground to match up against other fast racers.
This year, like last was ideal for me. I was able to head to Australia for a month, train and different whitewater, and race. The race is another aspect that makes training in Australia beneficial. There is at least one race durning January or February on which you can compete. With so many international paddlers the race is nearly World Cup quality in its competitiveness. Last year I arrived in Australia about a month before the race. I had plenty of time to adjust to the course, learn its tricks and prepare myself to compete. This year I flew in 6 days before the race. I had to learn as much as I could in a limited time, and attempt to hasten the process of overcoming jet-lag in order to get ready to race. With so little time and such imperfect physical conditions, I had to rely as much on what I figured out during my training as on my natural instinct.
I did what I could to prepare and walked into the race with goals, but with out expectations. My goal was not to hold back at all- just to go for it. The first day of racing showed my lack of adjustment. Firstly, my pacing was a little off. I truly didn't know what a good run would feel like or how fast an average run would be. I had a little trouble getting myself psyched up for the run. I tried although I still felt flat. My first run was average in terms of quality- the time about 3 seconds off the fastest of the day. It was below average in terms of cleanliness- I touched three gates. The result definitely lit a fire under me and I was determined to pull something out for the second run. I was much better prepared for the second run and paddled with complete abandon, cutting my lines where I could, tightening my upstreams where possible. I took two touches for my efforts, but laid down one of the fastest raw times of the day. While I was disappointed in the number of touches- for the record I cannot remember the last time I had 10 seconds in penalties- I was pleased with my ability to throw down a quick time, which added to my confidence and determination for Day 2.
Day 2 was the day that mattered. The competitors were to be narrowed down to 10. Those 10 were to then compete for the prize money. My goal for the day was to make that top ten. Mentally I was ready, physically I felt good. As I sat in the start pool I had two things in mind: put myself in the gates so I can paddle the entire time, and just go for it and let it happen.
When I crossed the start line, that is what I did, I let it happen. I gave myself enough room in all of the gates that I could pull hard the entire way down the course, I made most of my ups crisp, clean and quick, and I gave it my all. It was close, the quality and speed were there, but unfortunately I took a touch without which I would have jumped from 14th to 10th. Looking at the video afterwards, I could see no hesitation in my paddling. I committed to everything with confidence and kept going. I lost time in two places, both had to do with my line choices. One was in an offset- I swung just a bit wider then the other fast racers and lost precious time. My other time error was in the place where I touched the gate. I did not carve as efficiently as I might have and lost still more time. In both instances I was exactly where I planned to be, but my plan proved faulty. The lesson is that I can perform my plan with precision and accuracy, but I must double check to make sure my plan is correct.
The race set the tone for the rest of my Australia trip. Like the race, my training fluctuated. I worked very hard, paddled lots of whitewater, and tried to learn as much as possible before leaving. I went through the predictable ups and downs of training. Some days were good, some not as good, with quality often relating to my fatigue levels. But overall it was a high quality training block. By the time I flew home, less than a week ago now, I was ready for a change. I had exhausted myself mentally and physically and I looked forward to some respite at home on my own bed and on my home course.
2007-11-24 14:33:04
On this, the weekend following Thanksgiving, I thought it appropriate to take the time and list the things I am thankful for. The first, and most important is a loving ad supportive family who have shared in my dreams and sacrificed to help me achieve them. In many ways, my goals have become theirs and I could not be doing what I am doing without their commitment and passion.
Numerous other people have taken up my cause and pledged their support as well. Over the years, many people, like my coach, have donated their to help me ahieve my goals. A few companies such as Snapdragon have provided me with gear which have helped to keep me warm and dry during the cold winter months. And this year several people have donated money to help fund my training and competing, for which I am profoundly grateful. Most notably:
Susan & Bill Frechu
Amy & Thomas Glock
Meg & Bruce Seely
Maxine & Ken Shore
William & Maxine Stowe
The Naughton Company
Steve & Helen Hennessey
Thank you all very much. It means a lot and I appreciate it greatly.
2007-11-24 14:20:47
I spent two weeks in China in October. I departed the 14th of October and flew home the 26th. This two week training camp was held in Shunyi, a suburb of Beijing and the home of the regatta course and whitewater venue for the games next year. This venue, which was completed earlier this year, will only be opened a few times before the games to try and ensure the training available is as egalitarian as possible for all countries. This two week block of time for which I traveled to China was one of the times when water was available.
It was a good experience. The course itself was quite good. It's big, and far more continous than any other course I have paddled on. There are no pools, there is no still water. The water is constantly falling, moving downstream, and one is constantly dealing with holes and waves. This makes it challenging. Misused edges, poor balance, or leaning back in the boat is ill advised. The constancy of the whitewater means one has to be on line, balanced, powerful and efficient at all times. If one leans the wrong way or misses strokes, it means a bad upstream or a missed gate. Those are the difficulties of the course.
That said, while the course is big. All of the features are well defined. This means that there are always waves, holes and pieces of water to help one negotiate the course. It also means there are landmarks that clearly identify the lines on the course.
The course is difficult, but the challenge of it makes it one of the most fun courses in the world. I only hope I get the chance to return.
Keep an eye out for pictures from the trip on my photos page . Should my computer cooperate and permit me to do some editing, I also hope to post video of the course.
2007-08-08 11:01:58
Saturday 8/4/07:
I won the National Championships! After a disappointing US Team Trials, and after a difficult summer of racing, where I struggled to find my pace and my speed, where I over analyzed and tried really hard to be fast, all of which failed to produce the results I had hoped for, I finally pulled myself together when it counted. At the last important domestic race of the year I found my racing-self.
It was an afternoon race and like the days that preceded it, the afternoon was quite hot. I spent the morning relaxing, killing time and staying out of the sun. My parents, my uncle and his girlfriend had all come up to the course in McHenry, Maryland to watch the race, so I spent the first half of the day with them.
A little after lunch I prepared all of the items I needed for the race and went to the course. For some reason I had it in my head that the race was to begin at 2:00 PM. The start however, was at 3:00- a fact I did not discover until after my double warm up, which I did a full hour early. But it wasn't a problem. I found a picnic table under the shade of a tent where I could read until it was time to begin preparing for the race.
My first run was solid. My pace felt pretty good, I was pretty much on line, although there were a few spots where I lost time. When I arrived at the finish I was definitely aware that some improvements were required for the second run. I figured my run was good enough to place me in the medals, but I wasn't sure where. However, when I saw the times, I was quite pleased, and a little surprised to find I was sitting in 1st, not quite a second in front of the next racer.
I approached my second run much the same way. I felt good, and the weather had cooled down so it was far more comfortable. Rafal had noted that I looked a little cautious in few places on my first run. My second run was definitely not cautious. My first two gates were smooth and quick. My boat glided cleanly and I stayed on top of the water. As I jumped behind the rock on the way to 3, I tried to generate some speed off the eddy and swung a little wide of gate. My boat slowed greatly as I adjusted my line. But as I got back on track and started setting up the first upstream, gate 5, I noticed the surge in the eddy was quite low, meaning the inside pole would be at its highest point. I took note and set up the gate accordingly, preparing for a higher entry. As I jumped in, the eddy caught my bow, and while I had expected to do a standard, though quick, upstream on a draw, I found myself in the process of doing a sweep up. I leaned back, ducked my head, took the sweep, and was out, moving downstream again afer only one stroke.
That upstream set the standard for the rest of my run. I found myself pushing it, accelerating the boat quickly, aggressively pulling from gate to gate. I did not hestitate. I knew where I was and where I was heading, and I made it happen. As I crossed the finish line, I knew I had laid down a good run. I knew that unless someone else had an absolutely incredible run, I had won. The scoreboard confirmed it- I was National Champion. It was a sweet moment. The sensation was one I have missed greatly- the feeling of accomplishment, success, pure enjoyment. And, I was greatful. I was happy to be racing, and happy to be able to share the moment with my family.
2007-08-02 12:21:08
I arrived a few days ago to the new course in Maryland. It is the second new artificial whitewater course in the US. The location is beautiful, in the mountains, surrounded my national parks. Its a resort town, and the price of things reflects this fact.
The course itself is located on the top of the Wisp Ski Resort. When they started excavating the land they encountered a massive rock bed in which they had to blast through. The massive sandstone boulders which came out of the process occupy the banks of the course and create the majority of waves and holes and eddies. The course itself is beautiful, and almost looks like a natural river bed.
As for the whitewater, the top stretch has surges and boils, but is fast and dynamic. The first major drop, created by essentially by a dam is interesting because of its variabilty, but leads into a long flat pool. There is a good amount of slow or dead water on the course (a sharp contast to Charlotte), but there the water is moving and the eddies are strong, the course is good.
Training has been good, I feel good on the water and I am looking forward to the race.
2007-08-02 12:09:08
I am catching up on my blog, and somehow I am going to try and summerize 2 months worth of travel and racing in a single blog entry.
Barely two weeks after Team Trials, on May 12th, I flew to Europe to start racing. I was determined to race as much as possible, especially because I was not going to do any World Cups. My first stop was in Bratislava, Slovakia for the second race of the World Series- the Slovak Open. I arrived a week before to pick up a new boat (which I was not planning on racing) and met up with Tad Dennis and Ben Fraker to begin summer racing season.
I was fast in my first race. My second run was in the top several of the day, but they called a fifty on a head duck on my first run, so I did not advance to the semi-final. The race was over rather quickly, but placed in perspective it was not bad- the speed was there.
From Bratislava we drove to Lublijana, Slovenia for a week of training at Tacen. I paddled once, went to dinner, and then got sick. It was bizzare. In the middle of dinner I suddenly felt horrible, I started shivering violently and felt as though I was about to puke. I didn't, and what I had was definitely not food poisoning. But for the next two days I almost never left my bed, and on the third, I got up just enough to eat and get a little blodd flow.
Barely over the illness, we drove to Bovec, Slovenia just in time to race. I tried my new boat, and at first I was tremendously happy. But when it came down to the race, it felt horrilbe. It did not do what I it wanted to, and did not paddle the way I expected. Add to that the fact that I was still in recovery mode from being sick, the race was mediocre.
We headed back to Tacen after the race to train some more. It was quite nice week of paddling, and I was greatful to be on the water. I did my best to learn the course, which is a difficult task. Tacen is know for the inconsistency of the water. It surges and boils and constantly changes making it a difficult place to paddle until learn each surge. When the race came up, I felt pretty good on the water. On the first dayI touched one gate each run, but my times were decent. I was initially when looking at the time spread until I noticed that the Slovenians (per their familiarity with the course)were the fastest by a significant margin.
The second day was a bit of an experiment. I was going to try and be aggressive and quite snappy and pull hard to see if it paid off in terms of time. In reality it didn't, how hard you work on the water is not an indicator of how fast you will be.
We spent a few more days in Slovenia before heading to Italy for another race.
I raced on the 10th of June in Merano, Italy. My runs were solid, only one touch, and I finished 6th. The course was quite flat and quite physical. Nothing ever felt good. To be fast you just had to keep pulling the whole way down the course.
I headed to Augsburg, Germany for a week and a half and then drove to Slovenia for another competition. This one was just for fun, and it was. The race was at night, under the lights and the course was only 45 seconds long. The first day I was on, pretty fast, and felt quite good on the water. I was sixth. The second day I was a bit slower, never quite found my feel.
Afterwards, I drove to Bratislava where I spent the rest of my summer until my departure on July 16 out of Munich. The next three weeks were extremely fun and good training. I flew back into DC and headed back to Charlotte to start preparing for the National Championships.
2007-08-02 11:27:32
Team Trials occured back in April, and alas the race was very close, but for me, close the wrong way. I finished 4th, .04% out of third place. It was an intense three days of racing. I had decent races on two of the three days, but little mistakes made the difference between A team and B Team.
Day 1, on my first run, I was relaxed, confident and prepared. I had trained countless hours in Charlotte, and felt I knew the course well. On my first run I nailed every upstream but one, which I was low into. But I managed to stay focused, stick to my lines and finish the run just a half second out of 1st place. My second run was better by all accounts until my exit from the last upstream. I almost did the last upstream too well, exited tight and caught a big, pulsating surge out of the bottom hole. I was climbing uphill trying to make it to the last two gates. I ducked my head into the first, and reversed the second, but I had already lost precious seconds in my scramble. The 50 second penalty which was given to me afterwards just added to the damage. Day 1 was finished and it would have to be my throw away.
I was nervous on Day 2. I had not really been nervous at a race yet that year, so it was a different feeling. But I managed to calm myself enough to focus, and I did my best to channel that nervous energy into something positive. I raced my heart out, was clean on both runs. But on my second run I as a bit too far off the wall at the bottom drop and was kicked away from the eddy and the last upstream. Low into the up, I kept the boat running and tried to drive through the upstream and to the last gate. At least two seconds were lost in the move- the difference between 3rd (which I placed) and 1st.
I was still in the running, though. I had a slightly better percentage than the other person pushing for the 3rd spot, so it would come down to the last day. My first run, day 3 was good. As I peeled out of the last upstream, I spotted a straight line to the last gate and started sprinting. My mind was on the finish with two gates to go- the last little mistake to send me to 4th place- I touched the last gate. My second run I paddled hard, tried to make up time, pull myself into the medals, but I was just off.
I have already said it, but when the results came down I was devasted, depressed. After a spring where I had won every race in the US, the one race where I didn't win was Team Trials, the only one that mattered. But, I found something positive in it as well. In many ways, I was beaten because of my mistakes- all of which are easily fixable. There was no fatal flaw in my paddling, and I didn't miss the team because of a lack of skill, or because I was slow. Everything mistake I made can be fixed, and next year, at Team Trials I will be back and I will be better.
2007-04-02 22:00:23
The US Open is a two day race on the Nantahala that occurs every spring. Its usually one of two domestic races which match up all of the top racers before the US Team Trials. I have attended this race every year since I was a junior (it was previously titled the NOC Double Header.) Until this year, the win had alluded me. I had medaled, but never won. This year, it came together.
Things have been shaping up throughout the spring. I have had pieces of good races in Australia and Brazil and I won the Glacier Breaker in February. What was good about this race was the fact that I raced solidly two days in a row. I was clean, consistent, in the middle of the gates- and fast. I found the feel on the water, and I was on line, all recipes for success.
I have four weeks and one race between now and Team Trials. Its essential that I do not take these past successes for granted, but rather use them as building blocks upon which to continue to improve. Its all there, and I am ready.
Click here to read an article about the race2007-04-02 21:25:23
Pan Ams/Pre-Worlds were a mix of both good things and bad. My goal was to make the top 10 at the race. After struggling on the water early in the week, I found my feel in the final days approaching the race. On the first day, things came together. Mentally and physically I felt prepared. I paddled solidly, and after two runs I found myself sitting in 11th. What made this a good race was that I had one touch on each run, without which I would have been in the top ten.
In the semi-finals I felt similar to the previous day, and for the first half of the run, I was on pace to pull a similar result. But my plan involved a bad line on the middle of the course and I missed a gate. In the end, my final result was not what I hoped (or had set as my goal.) But I accomplished two worthwhile things. First, I reinforced the fact that I can achieve good results internationally (something I was reminded of in Australia as well), but also I realized that my second day, especially after a good first day, has caused me problems (it happened on the seond day in Australia as well). Its something to fix and after I noticed the patter, I made my goal to figure it out before the US Open and especially before Team Trials.
2007-04-02 18:42:21
First impession of Brazil: Hot &Humid.
I am not sure I can overstate how hot Brazil was. It was the sort of heat whose mere presence exhausted you. The kind in which your body required twice as much time to recover from physical exertion, the type which converted a moderate level of physical activity to a level much higher. When walking up the hill between the bottom of the course and the top I could feel my thump hard in my chest, and my head pulsate with each beat.
The heat was perhaps the first, and most difficult adjustment in Brazil. Any weather extreme- be it too hot or cold- makes training difficult. But we train nonetheless, and Brazil was no exception.
The course itself was not overly techinical. It had a few sections which required learning, where the water surged and fluctuated and was generally unpredictable. But the rest of the course was characterized by well defined and quick moving eddies as well as crisp waves and holes. While the course was not incredibly difficult, it had its challenges and the two weeks I spent training there were worth the effort and expense.
Brazil itself was an interesting place. Foz do Iguassu seemed like the quintessential South American town- it had hints of development and westernization, but was still clearly only emerging from its "Third World" status. Nothing worked quite as well as it might, time tables were fluid, and poverty was never very far from examples of wealth.
But I enjoyed the country. Travel is most fun when everything is new, and every experience is a first. This was my first trip to Brazil, and my first back to South America in several years, so it was good to be back.
2007-04-02 18:20:47
Well, this entry comes a bit late, but the update is worth it nonetheless. When I left off, I was informed that my visa application had to be sent to Miami. It was overnighted to Miami on Friday 23 and arrived on Saturday 24th. I frantically tried to call the embassy in Miami to see if they could, in someway, expedite the process and get my visa back to me in time to leave. Somehow, I could not get in contact with anyone. Every phone number I tried ended in some recorded message. Regardless of which extensions I tried, I could not get in contant with any live person. When I tried to reach the operator, I sat on hold listening to the same cycle of music without answer.
While my efforts were fruitless, I tried to work through other channels. I was given the number of Karen Irish at the USOC office in Washington, DC. This year is the larger Pan American Championships in Brazil and she was in charge of the visa applications for the numerous NGB's traveling to Brazil. To complete such a large task, she had a contact at the Brazilian Embassy in D.C. (the one which had already shut me down.) However, Karen was able to persuade her friend in the embassy to call on my behalf to Miami.
This process began on Friday, without much hope, and I called repeatedly on Monday and Tuesday to get updates on my status, with no word from the people in Miami. However, at the end of the day on Tuesday (the day before my departure) I recieved a call from Karen. She had just spoken to the consulate in Miami and they had my passport sitting in front of them ready to send out. The visa was processed and approved, they wanted to know how to send it. Luckily, when Scott Parsons mailed my passport to Miami he had included an USPS overnight envelope. There was still a chance that if the package made the mail room on Tuesday, it could make it to DC before my flight.
I drove to DC. the next day and sat in front of Scott Parsons apartment waiting for the mail and hoping my package would come in the mix. Alas, it did not. I did not make my scheduled flight and had to change my itinerary (+ $225). Nevertheless, it came on Thursday- only one day late, and I was able to leave for Brazil a few days later.
In the end, I was just happy to make it down to Brazil. If it had not been for the diligence of Karen Irish at the USOC, and the willingness of someone in Miami to expedite the process for me, I would have cancelled my trip. Scott Parsons was also essential, acting as my go between at the D.C. embassy, and mailing my passport to Miami. Without his help, I certainly would not have made it. So I owe them all a big thanks.
2007-02-26 12:17:40
In my previous entry, I alluded to "unforseen circumstances" which prevented me from arriving at the Nantahala in time to train before the race. Those "unforseen circumstances" surround the neccessary paperwork to get into Brazil- my visa.
I am supposed to leave Wednesday the 28th of February and go the Foz do Iguazu for the Pan-American Championships/Pre-World Championships. As soon as I returned from Australia, I was making preparations for this next trip, namely, applying for my visa. I very carefully followed the instructions on the Brazilian Consulate's website- which state that one can walk their visa into any consulate and have the application processed. If one does it by mail, it must go to the regional consulate. For a resident of North Carolina, that is Miami.
To simplify many stressful, and perhaps confusing details, I was informed on the 20th that my visa application could not be processed because I was going down for a competition. Later that same day they decided they could process it. But on the 22nd (my birthday) I got a call in the afternoon which stated again, that my visa could not be process in D.C. but had to be sent to Miami.
Needless to say, if I was stressed out the first time I heard this on the 20th, I was even more stressed out on the 22nd. My application could not be picked up to the 23rd, which meant the earliest it could get to Miami would be the 24th (a Saturday), so it would not even be looked at until Monday the 26th (two days before departure), and the website for the Miami consulate claimed it would require 12 business days to process the application.
Right now I am working multiple channels to get something to work, although no one seems to answer the phone in Miami, so it is exceedingly difficult. We'll see, and I will update the blog when I know more.
2007-02-26 12:01:12
The first US race this year was the Glacier Breaker- aptly named because it is held in February. As always, it was held on the Nantahala River near Bryson City, NC (my old home town and training site.
My original plan had been to drive over to the Nantahala on Friday before the race to re-accustom myself to the natural water. That plan changed due to some unforseen circumstances, of which I will write about later. In the end, I drove up Friday evening, in time to eat a late dinner and get to bed.
I was up by 7:00 and eating breakfast. I was preparing already. I was down at the course by 9:00 to register for the race and got on the water to do my first warmup about 45 minutes later. The morning started out at 30 degrees, but the sun was shining and the weather man said it was to be warm. By late morning, the forecaster had proven right and the day was beautiful.
The course had several classic Nantahala moves, and despite my long absence from the area, I instantly felt comfortable on the water. I saw my lines instantly, and set my sights on winning the race. I set forth a strategy which I felt confident and comfortable about, and one which had worked relatively well in Australia.
My first run was fast. I was clean, on line, relaxed but aggressive. I was sitting in first with several seconds separating me from the next boat. I followed a similar strategy for my second run, and somehow found yet another second from my first run time. I won the race 7 seconds ahead of second place. I was pleased with the run, and was further inspired to keeping working and progressing.
2007-02-26 11:32:49
I flew home the day after the Australian Open. If managed to fit in a early morning workout on the course in Penrith before I had to load my gear in the car and drive to the airport.
It was pouring rain as I was packing everything up. For the amount of time I spend in the water, one would think that rain would go little noticed. Truthfully, rain is often a big annoyance (unless there is enough to bring up the rivers). I like myself and my things to be dry when I am not paddling, especially when traveling and soaking wet gear in a drenched boat, zipped in to a wet boat bag is a recipe for mold and stink.
I arrived at the airport without incident, got my boat on the plane without issue (or charge, luckily) and embarked on the 20 hour trip back home. I left the warm Australian summer and was greeted in Washington DC by an ice storm and 15 degree weather. A true shock for the system.
Nevertheless, I was glad to be back and ready to kick it back into gear at home. And truthfully, the cold just makes you tough- so I was happy to have it.
2007-02-26 11:11:36
This entry is a bit late, however it is worth proceeding anyway. My month long training trip in Penrith, Australia culminated with a race- the first of the year. It was a great way to opportunity to gauge my technique, speed and fitness before the more important races begin. It was also a great field to race against. The top Slovak, British, Austrian and Australian kayaks were all on hand for this first test. It was my first race in nearly 6 months- a break which followed a summer of not racing. In many ways, it was an experiment to see what I was capable of and what needed further improvement.
The experiment was by all means a successful one. It was a two day race set up in the standard qualifier- final format. I focused on these two days as if it were two separate races so as to maximize my race experience. My major goal was to come out strong, paddle to my potential on my first run, and carry it through to my second run. On the first day, without a doubt, I did so. Both of my runs were solid, I was in the gates, in control, but still being aggressive and going for it. My body felt relaxed, I felt comfortable and had fun. I finished the day in 3rd place
Day 2, I felt much the same- confident, strong and and prepared. The majority of both my runs on this day reflected my performance the previous day, however mistakes at the bottom of the course prevented a similar finish. The mistakes were techinical, entirely fixable, and I walked away feeling good about the race and ready to work some more.
2007-01-25 05:28:48
A lot has happened since I last wrote. In December I moved to Charlotte, NC to train on the new course. I spent about a month there, and the training was fantastic. On Jan. 14th I flew to Sydney, Australia for some warm weather training and some competitive workouts. As in years past, many of the worlds top slalom racers have locked here following both summer and the whitewater. Its a great place to work on technique and also get an early gauge before the big races begin. So far the training has been great, I am steadly improving on the course, and I am feeling good.
Until next time.
2006-10-29 12:02:20
I have not blogged very much, however for those of you with an interest, here is an update on my activities over the past few months. After returning from China in late May, I spent my summer in Bryson City, NC where I continued training while finishing my degree in Political Science and Spanish. I attended both the Pan-American Championships in Canada and the National Championships in Charlotte, NC in August where I raced well, although not up to my expectations. I then relocated to Bethesda, MD where I am currently training and participating in an internship in Washington DC. The training is great, and with school finally completed, I can now focus exclusively on my athletic goals. I have been getting excellent time on whitewater at the course in Dickerson as well as good fitness and technical training at the feeder canal (with occasional surf sessions in the Potomac gorge). I will do my best to keep everyone informed as I train, and to keep updating my website with info and pics. Take Care, Scott Mann
2006-05-08 08:37:46
This is really my first blog entry. School has kept me busy, but I hope to make this a more regular occurence. Team trials was not what I hoped it would be, finishing 4th is never a good feeling. But in the absence of a summer of World Cup races, I was presented with the opportunity to go to China- a chance I jumped at. The trip was short notice. In the week following selections I not only had to prepare for my final exams, but I also had to get everything ready to go to China. It was a hectic week and a half, but well worth it. I do not have time to get into everything now, but the course is great, the country and its people are beautiful, and the food requires an adventurous spirit, but it all tastes good. I will write more soon, look for pictures to be posted on my website in the coming weeks.
